


Contingency Plan

by obstinateRixatrix



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Flash Fic, Gen, POV Hunk (Voltron), POV Third Person, eh he'll be fine, probably
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-13
Updated: 2016-08-13
Packaged: 2018-08-08 10:53:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 498
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7754917
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/obstinateRixatrix/pseuds/obstinateRixatrix
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nobody's expendable. But in certain situations, some people are less expendable than others.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Contingency Plan

**Author's Note:**

> So a few weeks ago I:
> 
> 1) wrote this drunk  
> 2) didn't bother editing it  
> 3) forgot it existed

“I’ll draw them out.”

It takes a little while for reality to catch up over such a short, simple sentence, almost as if the universe took pause specifically to give everyone the opportunity to process its full implications. It’s not nearly enough time.

“Wait,” Hunk starts, “that sounds- okay, considering the situation here, that sounds like a bad idea.”

Which was maybe a delicate way of putting it, but luckily Keith is around to burst out with “Are you trying to get yourself killed?”

“Wow, thanks for the vote of confidence. Look,” Lance says, level and calm with a grating sort of detachment. Like it’s already been decided. “We’re _kind of_ on a time limit here so let’s get this out of the way. You,” he turns to Hunk, “have to rewire the whatever so the ship stops doing the thing-“

“Uh, that’s not exactly what-“

“While you,” Lance interrupts, turning to Keith, “have the lion full of the entire reason we’re in this mess. What’s the princess going to say if we show up empty-handed? Sorry, you guys are too important to be playing decoy.”

“And you’re not!?“ Keith crowds Lance against the wall – it’s almost like he’s trying to tower over him, despite the height he doesn’t have. “Just, think this through-“

“Oh that’s rich.” There’s a strange absence of bite, which is probably what makes Keith step back. “I’m the only one thinking this through. Y’know, out of everyone, I figured you’d understand. But I guess it’s harder to be practical in person, huh.”

Keith takes another step back.

“I think we should take a few deep breaths, maybe calm down a little.” Hunk nudges Keith to the side, which is easier than it should be. “Maybe if we, I don’t know… we could…”

No matter how hard he wracks his brain for any sort of alternative, Hunk can’t scrabble together anything coherent. A brittle silence hangs, meek in the face of uncomfortable inevitability.

“We can’t leave anyone behind. I was wrong. Back then, I didn’t…” Keith lets out a sigh, measured and deliberate. “I didn’t know what I was talking about. Lance,” he tries, “you don’t have to do this.”

“Of course I have to. I’m the only one who can!” There’s a tinge of hysteria, the only hint of emotion throughout this exhausting conversation, and Hunk can’t help but feel a sickening sort of relief at the fact that Lance is, at least, more affected than he’s trying to be. “Listen, I know nobody’s expendable, and that’s- it’s true, I know it’s true, that’s not something we’re arguing here. But you have to realize- everyone has a job. And some jobs are more important than others. It just so happens mine isn’t one of those.” He throws out a shoddy facsimile of his usual grin. “You guys can be so dramatic. It’s not like I’m going into certain death. I’ll be fine,” he says.

And Hunk feels selfish for wanting to believe him.


End file.
